Does DHT really have anything to do with libido?

[Thisisnotatest333]

I had a thought today, im not a doctor or anything, this may sound stupid also. But lets think about how men change their hormone levels over time. DHT plays a huge role in puberty around developing sexual organs etc etc. But when puberty is over..Men, starting from their middle 20s, lose testosterone and have higher DHT levels. Wouldnt that mean your libido will be high too since your DHT levels are higher because testosterone is converting at higher rate to DHT? And how come the older you are, the lower your libido is? What if medications like propecia cause ED to some men because of something else and not DHT? Just a thought...

[Melvin- Admin]

I think it depends on the person. In my opinion, DHT does affect libido. I think the body needs to have a certain order to be optimal. If you start messing with your endocrine system, you can suffer some serious consequences. But not everyone is the same and some people can operate normally.

[LaserCap]

Many doctors believe DHT is only needed at puberty as you have so eloquently put it.  Beyond that stage is more of a nuisance that can lead to cancer.  

DHT is the result of the breakdown of testosterone.  The more testosterone, the more DHT you have - (which leads to hair loss, by the way). I don't believe the conversion rate has anything to do with libido levels.

As men age the testosterone levels come down about 10% per year.  I hear this on the radio commercials every morning from an ED group here in the Pacific Northwest. 

When I first joined the industry the overall thought was less than 1% of patients could experience a side effect by taking Propecia.  It is not believed this number is higher than that. The side effect being loss of interest when it came to sex. Somehow ED got into the equation and now many believe Propecia can cause ED.  We'll have to see in years to come if this correct. 

There are many contributors I'm sure will jump in and give you their opinion.

[LonelyGraft]

This is a great question and a tough one to answer at that. Many in the medical field claim testosterone is the main hormone responsible for libido. I also know that on average, men’s testosterone levels increase by about 10% when on finasteride because less of it is being 5 alpha reduced to dht. But that begs the question...why do people get side effects?

 

i have a feeling it has to do with the body failing to meet equilibrium with all hormones after dht is lowered dramatically. This is just my thought though.

[LaserCap]

13 hours ago, LonelyGraft said:

This is a great question and a tough one to answer at that. Many in the medical field claim testosterone is the main hormone responsible for libido. I also know that on average, men’s testosterone levels increase by about 10% when on finasteride because less of it is being 5 alpha reduced to dht. But that begs the question...why do people get side effects?

 

i have a feeling it has to do with the body failing to meet equilibrium with all hormones after dht is lowered dramatically. This is just my thought though.

Agree.  My understanding is that the 10% increase is only temporary and everything goes back to normal once the body figures out what's going on.

With more testosterone, if only for a short time period, people should be wanting more, not less. That has always been my approach to the medication and never experienced side effects.

The internet is truly awesome. It makes researching a lot easier than when I was in college having to deal with card file drawers. But I think people have to be mindful there is a lot of misinformation. Bet if you read that by taking an MM chocolate candy you'll develop some kind of side effect - guess what?

The mind is a powerful thing.